Door-operating means



T. WEFRING.

DOOR OPERATING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1913.

1 ,1 95,755. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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T. WEFRING.

DOOR OPERATING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-26' I9I3.

1,195,755. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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THEODORE WEFRING, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DOOR-OPERATING MEANS.

Application filed August 26, 1913.

To all whom z't-may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE WEFRING, acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of WVayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates the provision of a door of novel construction, together with means for operating the same, and is adapted for use on railway freight cars and also for use in ware houses, stores or other like buildings the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter described and claimed. r

The invention aims to provide an improved door which consists of a series of sections which are assembled as the door moves upwardly to closed position, and which are disassembled and arranged out of the way as the door moves downwardly to opened position.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for operating'the door so as to cause the sections to become assembled as the door moves upwardly to closed position and to be disassembled as the door moves downwardly to opened position.

In the drawings forming part of this specification like-numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several ,views and wherein 1 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door and operating means therefor constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the door in an intermediate position, in the act of closing or being raised to closed position, the feed shafts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is partly a side elevation of the same and partly a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of F ig'. 1.- Fig. 4: is a detail elevation of parts in section on the plane indicated by the line 4l of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of one of the attachers and a detail sectional view of associated parts on the plane indicated by the line 5'-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the main driving shaft, a worm, one of the worm gears, and showing one of the feed shafts in section. Fig. 7 is a detail elevaw tion of one of the jamb pieces. Fig.- 1S

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916. Serial No. 786,770.

detail section on line 77 of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 1s a detail perspective of one of the attachers. The door frame 1 is preferably made of iron or steel, and is provided with j amb pieces 2 which form vertical guides for the door sections and are provided on their opposing inner sides with vertical guideways 3. The rear flange of each guideway 3 is cut away at a point a suitable distance from the lower end of each jamb piece as at 4. The jamlo pieces are connected together at their upper ends by a plate 5 and at their lower ends by a bar or sill piece 6. At the sides and base or lower end of the door frame are a pair of guide frames 7 each of which has a horizontal lower bar 8, provided at its outer side with an upstanding guide flange 9. Each guide frame also has a horizontal upper bar 10. The rear end of the bars 8 and 10 are connected by standards 11. On the lower front sides of the jamb pieces are forwardly extending arms or plates 12, the lower ends of which are connected by means of the bottom bars 13 and 14. The bar 13 and plate 5 are provided at the sides of the frame 1 with extensions which. are connected together by a vertical bar 15.

A horizontally arranged main driving shaft 16 is arranged below the jamb pieces and vertical guides 3, and is mounted in suitable bearings 17 with which the frame is provided. The said main driving shaft has miter gear 18 and is also provided with worms 19 which are located near the said gears. A driving pulley 20 is also provided which is secured on the main driving shaft at a point near one end thereof. The operating wheel 21 has its gearing on an axle 22 which projects from a hanger 23 which depends from one of the end extensions of the plate 5 and the said operating wheel has a peripheral groove in the bottom of which are sprocket teeth 24. A sprocket wheel 25 is connected by an endless sprocket chain 26 to the pulley 20 which in practice is also a sprocket wheel. An operating sprocket chain 26, which is endless, has its upper bight engaging, over the operatlng wheel 21 and the said operating chain hangs loosely from the said operating wheel and 1s adapted to be grasped at either side and pulled manually so as to cause the operating heel, and. hence also the main l l lg shaft to be rotated in any direction required according to whether it is desired to open or close the door.

A pair of vertical shafts 28 are mounted at their lower and upper ends in bearings with which the frame is provided, and each of said shafts has a screw threaded portion 29 extending from its upper end to within a sufiicient distance of its lower end. Each shaft 28 also has a miter gear 30 which engages one of the gears 18 of the main drivin-g shaft, and said shafts 28 being further provided with diametrically enlarged unthreaded portions 31 below the screw 29, and with a cam 32 a slight distance below said unthreaded portion, each cam being cylindrical and being provided with an inclined cam groove which is open at the upper and lower ends of the cam. Said cams are secured to the said shafts for rotation therewith.

A pair of horizontally arranged feed shafts 34 are mounted in suitable bearings 35 with which the bars or sill pieces 6 of the frame 1 is provided, and each feed shaft has a worm gear 36 engaged by one of the worms 19 of the main driving shaft 16. On each feed shaft is a tubular feed screw 37 which is splined thereto for rotation therewith and for longitudinal movement thereon, and each tubular feed screw is provided near its front end with an annular circumferential grove 38. On the rear portion of each feed shaft is a cushioning and take up spring 39, the rear end of which bears against a collar or washer 40 on the shaft and the front end of which extends into a. counterbore 41 in the tubular feed screw and bears against the shoulder formed by the bottom of the inner end of the counter-bore, so that the said springs 39 exert their tension to move the tubular feed screws 37 forwardly on the shafts 34.

At opposite sides of the frame 1 are bell crank levers 42, the pivots of which are shown at 43 projecting from the bars 8 near their lower ends, each bell crank lever comprising a downwardly extending arm 44 and a forwardly extending arm 45. The arm 44 of each bell crank'lever is provided with a crank stud 46 which extends from the inner side thereof, and pivoted on said studs are shipper yokes 47, the said yokes engaging the grooves 38 of the tubular feed grooves 37, the fork arms of the shipper yokes being spaced a sufficient distance apart to permit the shipper yokes to play vertically to some extent in the grooves 38 as required by the angular movement of the levers 42.

The door comprises a primary section 48 which is adapted to move vertically in the guideways of the jamb pieces 2, and a series of secondary sections 49 which are adapted to be detachably connected to one another and to the primary section, and to be moved vertically in the said guideways with the primary section when connected thereto, and to be also moved laterally and horizontally in the guide frames 7 when disassembled. The primary section 48 is provided at its upper corner with supporting arms 50 which have vertical threaded openings through which the elevating screws 29 extend so that in effect the said supporting arms 50 of the primary door section form traveling elevating nuts which support the said primary door section and adapted to be raised and lowered by the screws 29 according to the direction in which the shafts are turned. A follower 51 is arranged to travel forwardly and rearwardiy, and is provided with downwardly extending arms 52 which are provided with threaded openings engaged by the tubular feed screw 37. Hence said follower is adapted to be moved forwardly and rearwardly by the said screws when the latter are turned with the shafts 34 and the follower is also adapted to bemoved forwardly, together with the tubular feed screws 37 by the action of the cushioning and take up springs 39. Each door sec tion has a rabbet 53 in its lower side, at the rear, and a tongue 54 extending rearwardly in the said rabbet, and each section is also provided at its upper end in its front side, with a rabbet 55 which has a groove adapted to be engaged by the tongue 54 in the next section forwardly. Hence the door sections are adapted to be connected together and arranged in vertical series, one below another, as the primary door sections 49 are adapted to be successively detached from one another and ar'anged one in the rear of the other, and in the guide frames 7 as the primary door section moves downwardly as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Each amb piece 2 has a vertical dove tail groove 57 which is engaged by a dove tail tongue 58 on' the inner side of a vertical movable controller 59, each controller being provided on its outer side at its lower end with a flange 60, which is recessed to receive one of the screw shafts 28 and each controller also has a tappet pin 62 adapted to ride in the space between the enlarged portion 31 of said shaft and the cam 32, and also adapted to engage the cam groove 33. An open spring ring 63 is arranged around the shaft 28 between the part 31 and the cam 32, and one of its ends is beveled or inclined as at 64, its opposite end 55 being sprung inwardly and adapted to bite and frictionally engage the shaft 28. When the shaft 28 pulls in one direction the said spring ring pulls with it, owing to the bite of its end 65, and the inclined end 64 of said spring ring acts as a cam to engage the tappet 62 of the controller, and force said tappet into the cam groove 33 of the cam 32. When the shaft 28 turns in the reverse direction the spring ring is held stationary by the said tappet 62 and the controller.

Associated with each controller 59 is a detacher 65, which latter are segmental in form and are pivoted on the sides of the frame 7 as at 66. The rear side of each detacher, which is presented to one of the jamb pieces and is adapted to be arranged in the path of the door sections is curved as at 67, and on one side of each detacher is an offset 68, the rear side of which forms an inclined cam shoulder 69 that is adapted to be projected into the path of and engaged by the front'side of the controller. Each. detacher is normally moved rearwardly and held in such projected position by a spring 70.

The operation of my improved door and door operating mechanism is as follows: Let it be assumed that the door is in initial open position with the primary section 48 lowered and the secondary sections 49 disconnected from each other and arranged one behind the other in the guide frames 7, and with the rearmost secondary sections engaged by the follower 51 which is held in place and caused to press against the said secondary sections, and to exert forward pressure thereon by the action of the springs 39. When the door sections are thus arranged the controllers 59 are in the position indicated in Fig. 2, and remain in this position while the door sections are again successively moved to closed position. To close the door the main driving shaft is then turned by the means hereinbefore described, in the required direction to cause the screw shafts 28 to move the primary door section upwardly. This main driving shaft being connected to the shafts 34 by the worms l9, and worm wheels 36 also causes the shafts 34 to be revolved, but at a lower rate of speed and in opposite directions, and since the tubular feed screws 37 are splined on the shafts 34, said tubular feed screws are caused to turn with said shafts and to slowly move the follower 51 to move through a space equal to the thickness of one of the door sections while the primary door section moves through a space equal to the height or vertical extent of one of the door sections, and hence when the tongue 54 of the door section reaches the level of the groove 56 of the next door section to the rear, said rear door section is engaged with the upwardly moving door section and so the door sections are successively connected to one another from below as the primary door section moves upwardly. The independent movement of the tubular feed screws and the follower on the shafts 34, under the action of the spring 39 causes and facilitates such assembling and connecting of the door sections. When the primary door section 48 has reached the upper extent of its movement, the last secondary door section is in place below the other door sections, and hence the door is closed. To open the door the main driving shaft is turned in the reverse direction thus causing the elevating screws 29 to move the primary door section 48 downwardly. Such initial movement of said screws, reversely, causes the controllers 59 to be moved downwardly, by the engagement of their tappet 62 with the cam grooves 33 so that the said controllers engage the arms 45 of the shifting bell crank levers 42 and cause said levers to move the tubular feed screws 37 and .the follower 51 rearwardly on the shafts 34 against the tension of the springs 39, a sufficient distance to clear the door sections, and as each secondary section engages the bottom of the horizontally arranged guides 7 it is detached from the next section above and forced rearwardly by the camming action of the curved arms 67 of the detachers, which curved arms are projected by the springs 70 into the vertical path of the door sections. The follower -moves rearwardly with the door sections and the latter are thus successively detached, and moved rearwardly out of the way as will be understood. The controllers 59 have no direct connection whatever with the members 65, the controllers being provided to shift the shaft together with the follower 51 to the right while the door sections are being lowered to opened position, the controllers 59 when lowered to engage the bell crank levers 42 for this purpose remain in their lowered position while all the door sections are being lowered. the door sections are lowered they are successively moved within the frame 7 through the instrumentality of theelement 65, the latter being controlled by the spring 70 which operates to normally maintain the element 65 in a projected position.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention I desire to have it understood that various changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts without departing from the spirit of my invention as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat is claimed is l. A door comprising a series of detachable sections, means to move one of said sections, means to successively connect. the sections together for movement with the first named section in one direction, and means to successively detach the sections when the first named section moves in a reverse direction.

2. A door comprising a primary section, an operating screw to move the same, a series of secondary sections, said primary section and the first of said se ondary sections hav- Manifestly as Copies of this patent ing means for connecting them together, said secondary sections also having means to connect them together, and means geared to the said operating screw to successively move the secondary sections into and out of engagement with one another according to the direction of movement of the primary section.

The combination of a door comprising a primary section and a series of secondary sections, said primary section and the first of said secondary sections having means for connecting them together, said secondary sections also having means for connecting them together, means including a screw to move the primary section, a follower to successively move the secondary sections into position to connect the first of said secondary sections with the primary section when the latter is moved in one direction and successively connect the secondary sections together, a screw geared to the first named screw to actuate the follower, and means to successively detach the door sections when the follower is moved in a reverse direction. 4. The combination of a door comprising a primary section and a series of secondary sections, said primary section and the first of said secondary sections having means to connect them together, said secondary sections also having means to connect them together, means including a screw to move the primary section, a follower to successively move the secondary sections into engagement with one another and to connect the first of said secondary sections with the primary section when the latter is moving in one direction, a screw geared to the first named screw to actuate the follower, and means to successively detach the door sections when the follower is moved in a reverse direction, a cam operated by the first named screw, and a controller actuated by said cam and arranged to adjust the said attaching means.

5. The combination of a door comprising a primary section and a series of secondary sections adapted to be connected and disconnected, means including a screw to move the primary section, a follower to successively move the secondary sections into engagement with one another, and one of the said secondary sections with the primary section when the latter is moving in one direction, a screw geared to the first named screw to actuate the follower, and means to successively detach the door sections when the follower is moved in the reverse direction, a cam operated by the first named screw, a controller actuated by said cam and arranged to adjust the said attaching means, and a shifting element also open ated by said controller to impart initial rearward movement to the follower.

6. The combination of a door comprising a primary section and a series of secondary sections adapted to be connected and disconnected, means including a screw to move the primary section, a follower to successively move the secondary sections into engagement with one another, and one of said secondary sections with the primary section when the latter is moved in one direction, a screw geared to the first named screw to actuate the follower, and means to successively detach the door sections when the follower is moved in a reverse direction, a cam operated by the first named screw, a controller actuated by said cam and arranged to adjust the detaching means, and a shifting element also operated by said controller to impart initial reaiwvard movement to the follower, and a cushioning and take up spring tending to move the follower forwardly.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE XVEFRING. \Vitnesses EDWIN F. ADAMS,

M. R. READ.

may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

